Sand and gravel screen.



vJ. H. GMELIN.

SAND AND' GRAVEL SCREEN. APBLIGATION FILED JAN. 2a, 1909.

Patented July 12, 1910.

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JACOB HENRY GMELIN, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

SAND AND GRAVEL SCREEN.

To all whom 'Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, J Aeon I-IENRY GMELIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sand andGravel Screens; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to screens and more particularly to sand and gravelscreens.

One object is the provision of means for supporting the screenintermediate its edges against sagging. This operates to strengthen thescreen and prolong its life.

Another object is the provision of a novel portable screen-supportingframe.

Still another object is the provision of improved means for removablyretaining the screens in position and permitting the substitution ofscreens of ner or coarser mesh.

A further object is the provision of means for catching and shunting thematerials passing through the screen into a pile or a suitablecontainer.

To these and other ends, therefore, my invention consists in certainnovel features and combinations of parts such as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, Fig. 3 is a detail viewof the releasable locking means for retaining the screens in position,Fig. 4 is a side view of the screen in portable position, Fig. 5 is across-sect-ional view on line -a' of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a detail rearview of a portion of the invention illustrating the converging wings 8,8.

Heretofore a simple screen inclosed within a box-like frame has beenused for screening sand or gravel. Such a screen has been propped inan'inclined position in any suitable 'manner and the sand or gravelthrown against the screen. The sand, because of its dampness, frequentlyclogs the meshes of the screen and it is customary for the operator tostrike the screen sharply with his shovel to loosen the sand. This soonouts the screen and renders it worthless. Furthermore, the screen willsoon sag because of the impact of the sand thereagainst, and be-Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 28, 1909.

Patented July 12, 1910. serial No. 474,653.

come concave so that the sand travels down the center of the screen andthe entire screen surface is not utilized.

My invention consists of a suitable frame and a removable screensupported therein, associated with other novel features of utility notpresent in sand and gravel screens of which I am aware. The frame A ofthe screen, comprises a depressed trough or apron 1, an extension 2 andsides 3, 3.

At the juncture of the side edges of the apron with the sides, areformed ways 4, 4, having abutments 5, 5, projecting across the ways attheir lower ends to form rests with which the lower corners of thescreen 6 engage. These rests are located at the upper corners of theextensions 2. The sides project upward on each side of and above theapron and the extension also, to confine the material.

The apron is cut away or recessed at its lower edge and a chute 7projects rearwardly from the upper edge of the extension 2, the oppositesides of such chute being provided with the converging confining wings8, S. The ways extend upward substantially in alinement with the planeof the extension 2, but the apron is gradually inclined away from theways, from its head to its lower edge.

Supporting ribs 9, 9 extend longitudinally of the apron. Such ribsgradually increase in height as they near the bottom of the apron tocompensate for the inclination given the apron, so that the plane of theupper edges of the ribs lies approximately in alinement with the planeof the ways 4, 4.

- It will be seen that I have provided an apron inclined at a greaterangle to the horizontal than is the extension 2. Also it will be notedthat the spaces between the ribs form channels which lead the screenedmaterial to the chute 7 located beneath and extending backward at anangle to the depressed apron.

At the head of the frame, the upper ends of the sides 3, 3 are connectedby a cross brace 10 between which and the upper reduced ends of the ribs9, 9, is formed a space adapted to receive the screen 6. This space ispreferably wide enough to receive screens of varying thickness. The sideedges of the screen are slidingly received on the ways 4, 4 and held inplace against lateral movement by the sides 3, 8. The lower end of thescreen overlaps the upper end of the extenl screen and onto theextension 2.

sion 2 and rests upon the abutments 5, 5. The screen intermediate itsedges is supported by the free longitudinal edges of the ribs 9, 9. Thisis a feature of great irnportance and prevents the' sagging of thescreen, thereby increasing and prolonging its utility.

In order to retain the screen against outward movement, I may providesuitable locking means, as the catches l2, pivotally secured to theinner faces. of the sides. The locking means may be of any convenientstyle, the catches shown being angular, whereby the feet 13, when thecatches are moved to locked position, engage and lie upon the screen, asshown. These catches are so arranged that they may assume the positionshown in Fig. 3, to receive and engage an extra thick screen.

The screen itself is preferably formed of rolled steel wire which isVgiven a sinuous or undulating form. These wires are interlaced to formlongitudinally elongated meshes. I find that screens of this form aresuperior to the common style of screen because the sinuosity of thewires imparts a rolling movement rather than a sliding movement to thematerial to be screened, thereby causing the line particles to bequickly loosenedA from the coarser material. Where the material slidesdown the screen, a considerable portion of the line material is carriedover the screen on top of the coarser material and does not siftthrough.

I may provide suitable legs or props 14 hinged to the back of the apronor to the sides, to retain the frame and screen at any desired angle.

Portability is given the screen by providing the wheels 15, 15,journaled at the upper corners of the depressed apron, and in order torender the device compact when transporting the same from place toplace,

. I provide a suitable fastening, as a hook 1G,

pivotally secured to t-he under face of the chute 7 and adapted to takeover one of the legs 14 to retain the latter snugly in position.

In operation, the sand or gravel is tossed or deposited on the screennear its upper end in the usual manner, the fine particles fallingthrough the meshes of the screen, whilethe coarser particles roll downoff the The screened particles falling into the channels between theribs are conducted to the lower recessed end of the apron and areshunted off onto the chute 7 which may discharge the material into awheelbarrow or onto the ground as preferred.

In order to transport the screen from place to place, the legs arebrought close to the back and the hook caught over at least one of thelegs, whereupon the operator can raise the foot of the screen. andtrundle the device to any desired position on the wheels l5. i

I-Iaving thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim as new, is

l. A screening device comprising sides and a depressed apron, shouldersformed at the juncture of the sides and apron, catches secured to thesides above the shoulders, a sliding screen removably received andsupported on the shoulders and held in place by the catches, abutmentsat the lower ends of the shoulders projecting at approximate rightangles to the sides and extension and located at the juncture thereof,an extension projecting in the same plane with and at the lower end ofthe screen, the lower end of the apron being odset from the extension,-

leaving an open space between the head of the extension and the foot ofthe apron to form a discharge orifice.

2. A portable metallic screen comprising sides, a plate connecting thelower ends of the sides, a depending apron connecting the upper ends ofthe sides, the apron being gradually inclined from its head to its footand terminating short of the head of the plate to leave a dischargeopening, a chute carried by the head of the plate and extendingpartially across the opening, a screen removably received between thesides, means on which the lower end of the screen rests when in inclinedposition, the plate constituting an extension of the screen, and meansfor retaining the frame at any desired angle.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB HENRY GMELIN.

Witnesses:

HARLEY C. ALGER, R101-IARD SURGEsoN.

